Installation of operating systems on large numbers of computers over large networks is a time-consuming process. The problem is particularly relevant when attempting to update networks that have large numbers of homogenous nodes in a dynamic, external environment.
Automated software installation has developed and is now commonplace. Automated software installation is common as most computers are purchased with an operating system (i.e. Windows, UNIX, LINUX, MacOS, Novell, AIX, or the like) and many computers are subsequently repurposed. In such a case, the computers to be updated/installed are connected to network backbone. The network can be wired or wireless and utilize different transport mechanisms. The transport mechanisms includes collision based electronic transfer, direct RF wireless transfer, infrared, or other optical modes. Several protocols, including TCP/IP, are available. Using these resources, software can be installed with little human intervention.
In a smart dust network, these problems are exacerbated. The smart dust, also termed motes, are low power sensing, computing and transmission platforms that can be dispersed in an environment and transfer environmental information back to a central source. For example, Crossbow Technologies offers a line of wireless sensor networks. The Crossbow Technologies offerings operate on a proprietary TinyOS, but more advanced operating systems can be adapted to run on smart dust machines.
Current operating systems (OS) are generally installed using one of two techniques—a device specific copy program is attached to chained media devices, and the OS is installed onto the chained media devices by the copy program, or a master computer server installs the OS using a client/server network. The chained media technique is graphically illustrated in prior art FIG. 7, while the client/server paradigm is graphically illustrated in prior art FIG. 8. Use of the device specific copy program is undesirable due to the need to purchase the specialized program and equipment, as well as update and maintain the program. In addition, devices need to be installed and removed from the chain, and there is little testing of system hardware during the installation. Conversely, systems utilizing the client/server paradigm, while reducing the need for the specialized programs, quickly saturate the capacity of the server, and can be time consuming, as the throughput of the entire system is then limited to the throughput of the server.
It is therefore a challenge to develop a method to install operating systems to overcome these, and other, disadvantages.